Ten Things You Never Knew About Essential Oils

It has been a fantastic experience to explore the wonderful world of essential oils both on our own and through the eyes and noses of so many kind and friendly guests and customers! We have learned so much on this journey, and yet there is still more to come. Each and every day we get a new experience or hear an interesting story from our friends all over the world. We have discovered so many interesting facts and learned so many great lessons, both about our diffusers and about essential oils in general.

Here are ten interesting facts about essentials you probably didn’t know:

1. Did you know essential oils are corrosive to plastic? Put your favorite one in the lid of a soft drink cup and come back 30 minutes later. You will be astonished to see what happens! Be careful.

2.    Essential oils are natural and extracted from plants, but many are actually flammable! But this is nothing so special, your own human body is 2 to 4% magnesium, sulphur and phosphorous, which can also burn at well over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit!

3.    While some essential oils are comprised of hydrocarbon chains, they are not actually all oils, but are chemically closer to alcohols and have both acidic and alkaline properties. There are often over 20 or 30 different organic compounds found in plant essential oils.

4.    Essential oils don’t consist of just one aroma, but have a beginning, middle and end note, and are highly subject to change over time, including with their exposure to air, the skin and other substances and materials. This is one way to “tell” a real essential oil from a fake one or a fragrance oil. An essential oil can change, and will have a different scent when you smell it in the bottle, when it is in the air and on your skin! Those created in a lab will always stay the same!

5.    Essential oils don’t actually “go bad” in an everyday sense, they degrade chemically very slowly. Some can even potentially change over time by reacting with themselves!  The one thing that can most affect the quality and performance of essential oils is their exposure to oxygen. Oxidation is the main contributor to the spoiling of essential oils. Sunlight will also break down the chemical composition of the oils. You can even refrigerate the oils to slow the process of degradation. Some oils can even get better with age!
6.    Essential oils are found in the cells and glands of plants and can be seen with an electron microscope. These extraordinary natural, organic compounds have and perform specific functions in the metabolism and physical structure of the plant including, helping to regulate temperature, preventing disease and repelling and attracting other animals.                                                               

7.    Essential oils are natural, not created by man and therefore constantly change. Their scent, function and chemical structure all changes. This means that it is impossible to guarantee their quality or consistency or production outcome year after year and season after season. Essential oils derived from a plant on one side of a field can significantly and dramatically vary from those derived from the same plant just meters/yards away! Don’t be fooled or blindly loyal to any one brand always. Test it first, and continue to test it. Switch when and if it changes significantly, because it may!

8.    Food-grade and therapeutic-grade essential oils are a myth. That doesn’t mean that there are not oils that are good or great when used as a therapy for many different indications, but there is no standardized body or organization that makes rules that govern this. If anything, this is a standard created internally by a company and means whatever they say it means…which could be good!

9.    Essential oils should not be used on the face, ingested, or used with babies or the elderly. This is only true in so far as these things, places, ways, people are just more sensitive than your palm, your muscles, and regular, mature adults! It is true that essential oils can be toxic, but so can aspirin, toothpaste, alcohol and much, much more. Anyone can use essential oils it is all about dosage! NAHA (national association for holistic aromatherapy) just really urges being prudent and using a moderate amount that is SUITABLE for the circumstances!

10.    Essential oils are actually really quite valuable in the sense that it takes sometimes TONS of plant matter to create even a tiny amount of oil. It is said that it requires more than 100 pounds of Lavender flowers and over one thousand pounds of Melissa plant to make one ounce of essential oil.                                                 

Join us each month for more fun information, education and big discounts on essential oils and our special, one-of-a-kind Nebulizing Diffusers.